Our Secret
by lilgulie5
Summary: Quinn and Puck share more than one secret but how long can they keep it? Set between "Hairography" and "Sectionals". Sequel to "Something More" and prequel to "Just Let Me Try". One-shot.


**A/N: I wanted to write a follow up to "Something More" and it just became a prequel of sorts to "Just Let Me Try". It also turned out to be a lot longer than I originally expected. This is set after Quinn finds out about the sexting in "Hairography" and goes all the way into the very beginning of my longer fic "Just Let Me Try". I hope you enjoy it! Xoxo-Katie**

**Disclaimer: I don't own glee. If I did we would have a LOT more Quinn/Puck scenes. **

"Hey, are you OK?" Finn asked as he drove them back to his house after school on Friday. It was a simple question but the answer was so much more complicated that he would ever know, so Quinn did what she was getting good at. She lied.

"I'm fine, just tired, I guess."

It was her go-to excuse lately, but as least it was a believable one. In reality, she was very far from being anywhere close to _fine_. She was hurt and angry and disappointed and maybe even a little broken hearted. She didn't know what she had expected from babysitting with Puck, but finding out he had been sexting Santana definitely wasn't on that list. The strange thing was that she failed to realize what was going on that night. He seemed like he was having fun when they sang together and they had completely succeeded in taming those little brats. She swore that he was getting ready to slide his arm around her just before Kendra and her husband returned home. _I guess I was wrong about a lot of things_, she thought.

"So what do you think?" Finn said, pulling her from her thoughts.

"About what?"

"I asked you if you thought lima beans or Brussels sprouts were more disgusting."

"Oh," Quinn replied, wondering what really went on inside his mind sometimes. "Ummm, I guess I would have to say Brussels sprouts."

"Exactly! You'd think that since they are cute and little they would be delicious, but NO! They are awful."

XXXXX

"Why the hell did you do that?" Puck growled as he confronted Santana after school.

"What are you talking about?" she replied innocently.

"Drop the act. I know you told Quinn about the messages you sent me."

"_Oh right_, I did do that, didn't I? I just thought Princess Prego needed to know what you were up to that night."

"You're just pissed and jealous that I didn't want to hang out with you that night."

"Me, jealous of _her?_" she scoffed. "I don't think so. Ever since she got kicked off the Cheerios, I'm on top of the pyramid now. What's with you anyway? She's having Finn's baby. Don't you think you should back off?"

"The only person who needs to back the fuck off is you. Leave Quinn alone. Like I said, you just want to hurt her, so knock it off."

"You can't tell me what to do, it's not like we're dating."

"Yeah, _thank God_ for that."

"So you'd rather sit and fawn over someone you can't have than have a good time with someone like me?"

"The only reason I can't have her now is because of someone like you," Puck seethe. "I don't want to be with you. Leave. Me. Alone."

XXXXX

Quinn sighed heavily when she saw Puck standing in front of her locked after second period the following Monday, just as he always did.

"I really don't want to see you right now," she said as she opened the combination lock.

"You didn't answer any of my texts last night."

"That's because I don't want to talk to you either."

"Quinn, I told you I was sorry."

"Awesome. You're sorry. Can you please go away now?"

"No," Puck insisted. "I want to talk to you about this."

"I have to go to class. Unlike _some_ people, I value my education."

"Meet me tonight."

"No."

"_Please_, Quinn. I'm asking you for a chance to explain myself."

"What's there to explain?"

"A lot. Just meet me tonight and if you're still pissed at me, I'll leave you alone. I told you before that you just have to say the word and I will stop bothering you."

Quinn eyed him for a moment and thought carefully before she answered. "Fine. I'll meet you at the west end of the mall at seven-thirty."

"Do you need me to pick you up?"

"Yeah, because _that_ wouldn't make Finn suspicious. No, I'll just meet you there."

"Alright, I guess I'll see you there."

"Right."

"Oh, I almost forgot. I still brought you a bagel. You want it?"

"Fine, thanks."

XXXXX

"Really, it's OK, I can drive myself to meet Brittany at the mall."

"I know, but I'm heading over to Mike's anyway so I can just give you a lift and she can drop you off when you're done."

Not wanting to argue with him, Quinn allowed Finn to drive her to the mall and drop her off at the east end. She kissed him on the cheek before getting out of his mom's minivan and walked through the entire mall until she reached the doors at the west end and stepped back out into the crisp autumn air in search of Puck's black truck. She found it parked not far from the entrance and climbed inside.

"Hi," he said. "Did you walk through the mall?"

"Yes, because Finn _insisted_ on dropping me off and I didn't want him to see your truck."

"So do you want to stay here or drive around somewhere else?"

"Why don't we just stay here so you can start explaining yourself?"

"Fair enough. OK, here goes. Like I said, I'm sorry about the text messages and the way I acted when you confronted me about them. I was pissed at Santana for telling you and just upset by the situation in general."

"_You_ were upset? Right. Because _I_ was the one talking to other girls that night," Quinn spat. "Thanks for reminding me."

"How do you think I feel?" Puck challenged. "Knowing that I'll never be good enough for you, that I'm always second fiddle to Finn. Don't you think that hurts me?"

"You were _sexting_ Santana that night."

"I was _getting _sexts from Santana. You didn't find out until a few days later but whose bed did _you_ sleep in that night?"

"That's not fair."

"How is it not? You said you wanted to give me a shot, but you went right back to Finn that night."

"What did you want me to do? You went off to be with Santana."

"Like hell I did," Puck objected. "I didn't. You obviously didn't look at the last few messages when you grabbed my phone."

"I saw enough."

"I don't think so. Here, have another look."

Quinn reluctantly took the phone from him and scrolled through his inbox once again, passing the sexts until she found a string of messages she hadn't seen before.

_Santana: Where r u?_

_Puck: bbsitting_

_S: w/ who?_

_P: Quinn_

_S: Lame u shuld bbsit me_

_P: no thx_

_S: cum over when ur done_

_P: pass_

_S: y?_

_P: not interested_

Following the unseen texts from Santana were a few from his mother.

_Mom: Can you pick up milk?_

_P: yup_

_Mom: Thanks. See you in the AM. Drive safe. Love you._

_P: Love u 2 mom._

Quinn was relieved it was dark inside the truck because a small smile formed on her lips. She had no idea he was such a mamma's boy. The next few texts were from her. She had nearly forgotten about them.

_Quinn: I had fun 2nite._

_P: me 2, u rocked_

_Q: I found ur guitar pick in my bag? I'll give it back 2mrw._

_P: keep it. C u 2mrw._

_Q: don't forget my bagel._

_P: sweet dreams._

"What's your point?" she asked, handing Puck's phone back to him.

"My point is that I can't control what gets sent to me. My point is that I kept your texts, too. Do you still have my pick?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you just toss it out?"

"I-I forgot about it," she fibbed. "What about all of the other girls?"

"I just said that because I knew it would piss you off and I was angry."

"What about wanting to have sex with me and your _needs_?"

"Like I said, I'm a dude. Do you really think there are many guys at school who haven't thought about getting it on with you? Do you think Finn doesn't want to?"

"Yeah, actually, I do," Quinn admitted. "He's been…_awkward_ since I moved in."

"I'm sorry that I want to be with you. Should I apologize for that?"

"I don't know what you want from me, Puck."

"I want you to forgive me, but I also want you to see that you've hurt me, too."

"Oh, _I've_ hurt you? How?"

"You just expect me to be here like some fucking puppy and then I get kicked in the face."

"I do not do that!" Quinn protested hotly.

"Yes, you do. You let me do nice things for you, you invite me to babysit with you but then you get scared and push me away."

"I'm not scared of you."

"Really?" Puck asked, moving closer to her so that they were inches apart.

"Yes," Quinn swallowed.

"Because you scare the shit out of me."

"I do?"

"I've never felt this way about anyone before," he sighed. "Jesus Christ, I turned down sex for you. I can't stand it when you're mad at me."

"I don't like being mad at you," she said softly. "I was just so hurt and disappointed when Santana told me. Maybe I should have asked you about it. Maybe I overreacted."

"No, you didn't. I should have made her stop sooner and I didn't. I'm sorry."

"I forgive you."

"You do?" Puck looked up, slightly surprised.

"Yes, and I'm sorry, too. I haven't been fair to you. I took advantage of your willingness to help me and I'm sorry," Quinn said and she began to cry. "God, why do I keep hurting people?"

"You keep hurting people because you're trying to make everyone happy except for yourself. You should do what you want to do."

"I don't think I know what that is."

"Then you should take some time to figure that out," he replied. "I'll be here."

"Thanks," she whispered and before she could stop herself, she was reaching out to touch his face with her fingertips. "But what happens if I want you? What do we do?"

Puck wouldn't believe what she had just said. For a moment he forgot how to speak, how to blink, how to breathe until he said the first thing that came to his mind.

"What about Finn?" he blurted out.

"I don't want to hurt him anymore than I already have."

"Neither do I."

"I don't even know if this could work between us."

"We've never tried, not really anyway. I would try."

"I don't know," Quinn breathed, biting her lip and playing with her hands.

"I'm not going to hurt you, not again. What if we…never mind."

"No, what were you going to say?"

He wasn't even sure what made him think of it in the first place. It was a crazy idea and he turned away from her to gaze out the front window as if he was looking for some sort of sign. His eyes danced over the various signs and billboards that lined the streets leading up to the mall until he spied the traffic light. At that exact moment it changed from red to green and he felt his uncertainty fall away.

"What If we kept it a secret? You know, while we try it out?"

"A secret from Finn?" Quinn asked, arching her eyebrow.

"From everyone. No one would know but us."

"We'd be, like, having an affair?"

Puck shrugged.

"I'd be cheating on Finn."

"What do you think we're doing right now?"

"How would it work?"

"I dunno. We could hang out and stuff."

"Where?"

"I'm not really sure. We could go places."

"It would look bad if we were seen together."

"Then we could go out of town somewhere."

"What if it doesn't work?"

"Then at least we'll know that we tried. Finn wouldn't have a clue and we can just be friends."

"You can't be with any other girls," Quinn stated.

"You can't have sex with Finn," Puck countered and she rolled her eyes at him.

"That isn't exactly an issue. We've…never actually done _it_."

Puck felt a smile form on his lips when he realized that he was the _only_ person she'd ever been with.

"Are we going to try this then? Because I'm in if you are."

"Yes, we can try, but if you-."

"I won't, I swear," Puck promised, tracing his thumb across her jaw.

"It will be our little secret," Quinn replied with a smile, covering his hand with her own. He leaned in and kissed her tenderly.

"What time do you have to be back?" he asked, pulling away.

"Well, the mall closes at nine, so sometimes around then?"

"It's only eight now, what do you want to do?"

"Could we maybe just go somewhere quiet and, I don't know, talk?"

"If that's what you want, I know the perfect place."

Puck pulled out of the parking lot and drove just out of town to a nearby forest preserve that overlooked Lima and parked.

"Here we are."

"This looks like the type of place where people drop off dead bodies. It's dark, secluded."

"Gee, thanks. My grandpa used to bring me out here to look at the stars. You wanna go out?"

"Sure," Quinn shrugged and stepped out of the truck. Puck threw a plaid blanket down in the bed of his truck and helped her climb up into it before taking a seat next to her. The air was clear and crisp and away from some of the bright lights, the stars shone brightly.

"So, do you know the names of these stars?" she asked and leaned back on her elbows, trying to get comfortable.

"Some of them, obviously not all of them. Even I'm not that smart," Puck joked as he nudged her. "That one is Orion, the hunter, and over there is Cassiopeia."

"Do you believe in wishing on stars?"

"I don't know. It's never really worked for me. What about you?"

"I used to all when I was little. I used to wish on the same star all of the time," Quinn remembered, pointing up at one. "That one right there."

"If you could wish for anything right now, what would it be?"

"I can't tell you, then it won't come true."

"Are you really that superstitious?"

"Fine," she sighed and looked up at him. "I would wish for clarity. It's what I pray for, too. What about you? What would you wish for?"

"To stop being such a screw up."

"You're not a screw up."

"You don't think so?"

"No. You're a _screwball_ sometimes, but you're not a screw up."

"Thanks, babe," Puck replied, touching her hand and a shiver ran up her spine. "Are you cold?"

"It's a little chilly out here," Quinn replied, thankful she had worn jeans.

"Here, put this on."

Removing his letterman jacket, Puck placed it around her shoulders as she sat up. She looked so small as she pushed her arms through the sleeves and pulled her hair out of the collar. As soon as the coat was around her, Quinn could feel the leftover warmth transfer through her pea coat to warm her.

"Thanks, won't you be cold?" she asked, noting that he only had a long-sleeved t-shirt on.

"Nah, don't worry about me," he said, kissing her quickly until she wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him closer to her, sighing as his lips pressed against hers. Puck slid his arms into his jacket and around her body, pulling her onto his lap. Quinn was surprised at how gentle he was being and that he didn't try to do anything else. She didn't think of anything or anyone except the way it felt to be so close to him again. She hated being angry with him, hated not talking to him, and hated not seeing him. Despite what she might tell other people, he really was one of the only people who understood her and didn't judge her. He was a safe haven. After some time, Puck leaned back against the back of the cab and the two of them just sat quietly, Quinn's head tucked in between his neck and shoulder, like it was always meant to be there. For awhile, he thought she might have fallen asleep until she stirred and craned her neck to look up at him.

"You OK?" he asked, rubbing his arms up and down her frame. "You still cold?"

"Mmm, no. I just…I kinda like this."

"Me too. Shit, it's almost nine. We should probably start heading back."

Puck helped Quinn out of the back of the truck and they drove silently to Finn's house. Normally, he wasn't one of those touchy-feely guys but he thought it was nice when Quinn reached over the console and took his hand in hers. He wished the drive would have been longer but before long he was stopped in front of the house next door to Finn's, just in case of the off chance that he was able to see the driveway from wherever he was inside.

"I, uh, guess I'll see you tomorrow," he said as he shut off the headlights.

"Too bad we don't have any classes together," Quinn replied.

"It's better this way. I would just be staring at you the entire time anyway."

"Goodnight Puck."

"Night," he said and leaned over for one last kiss before she climbed out of the truck and walked up to the house. Puck waited until she retreated inside before pulling away from the curb and heading home.

XXXXX

"Hey," Quinn said, dropping her purse onto the desk Finn never used.

"Hey," he practically grunted from his spot at the end of the bed, not tearing his eyes away from the game of Halo he was playing. "Buy anything?"

_Crap,_ she thought. She had come back from the "mall" bag less. _This isn't suspicious at all._

"No, you know, trying not to waste money," she said quickly. "I really just went to hang out with Britt."

"Yeah."

"I think I'm going to go take a shower."

"OK."

Quinn grabbed her pajamas and headed down the hallway to the bathroom. She hated lying to Finn even more than she already was, but after spending time alone with Puck, she thought it was necessary. She couldn't believe how nice it was to just be with him. She was really touched that he had taken her someplace that was special to him. When she finished showering, Quinn gathered her clothes up off the floor and swore that she could still smell Puck on her cardigan. Of course, being pregnant made her more sensitive to _every_ smell, but she didn't want to take any chances. She padded to the basement, threw her clothes down next to the washer and returned to Finn's room with a cookie she had grabbed while walking through the kitchen. Her boyfriend was in the exact same position she had left him in and over twenty minutes had gone by.

"Are you winning?" she asked, sitting back against the headboard.

"Well, I'm not losing," he replied in a monotone voice. "I think your phone buzzed."

She reached for her phone on the nightstand and found that she had missed two texts, both from Puck.

_Puck: r u sleeping?_

_P: hmm guess so._

"I was showering," she quickly texted back.

_P: just wanted to say goodnight again._

_Quinn: goodnight :)_

_P: sweet dreams_

_Q: u 2_

"Finn?" she asked tentatively.

"Yeah?"

"I'm kinda tired. I think I'm going to go to sleep."

"OK," he replied, pausing his game to look back at her for the first time since she got home. "Do you want me to shut this off? I just started a new level."

"No, it's fine. Can we just turn the lights off?"

"Sure," Finn said and walked over to flip the light switch. He sat on the bed next to Quinn and bent down to kiss her. "Night."

"Goodnight," she replied and drew the covers up around her chin and closed her eyes.

XXXXX

Quinn couldn't wait to get to school the next morning and it was almost torture sitting through her first period Honors English class. It was impossible for her to concentrate on the story they were supposed to be reading. It was something about King Arthur, his friend Lancelot and his queen, Guinevere. Waiting through her second period class was ever worse. She started packing up long before the bell was set to ring and stared at the clock, willing the second hand to tick faster. When the bell finally did sound, she was the first one out of the classroom and was surprised to find Puck already leaning against her locker.

"Hey," he said, taking her books from her as she opened the locker. "You look really nice today."

"Thanks," Quinn blushed, noticing how polite he was trying to be.

"Here's your bagel."

"Mmm, what would I do without it?"

"Probably starve and that would suck, hardcore."

"What do you think about this whole yearbook thing?" she asked as they began to walk to her next class.

"I dunno, I actually agree with Kurt. I kinda think we should just not be in it."

"I agree. I already feel like I have to dodge slushies around every corner. I don't want to have my picture defaced for students to see year after year."

"I'd never let you get hit with a slushie."

"You're not exactly around all the time," Quinn pointed out.

"I would be when you needed me, like a superhero."

"Can I call you Mohawk Man?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Maybe," Puck conceded and stopped just short of her classroom door. "I'll see you in glee."

"See ya," she replied and physically had to stop herself from leaning in to peck him on the cheek when she felt his hand glide over her back as he continued on his way to his next class.

"Quinn, I adore the color burgundy on you," Kurt said as she took her usual seat between him and Mercedes.

"Girl, you look unusually happy today. What's up?"

"Nothing, aren't I allowed to just be happy for a change?"

Quinn unwrapped her bagel and a small, laminated card fell out and onto her lap. It was only slightly larger than the size of a quarter and when she picked it up, she could see that it was a tiny purple pressed flower.

"How precious is that?" Mercedes asked.

"I didn't know Finn Hudson was capable of such a thing," Kurt replied. "Not that he's not sweet, he's just not, well, smart."

"Yeah," Quinn laughed uncomfortably. "Don't mention it to him, OK? He'd probably just get embarrassed."

Not long after class started, Quinn felt her purse buzz from its place on the back of her chair and discreetly fished her phone out. She held it below the desk, making sure that both Kurt and Mercedes were focused on their Geometry lesson before she read the message from Puck.

_P: find ur surprise?_

_Q: yes. Thx :)_

_P: it was the best I could do. Sorry._

_Q: I luv it_

_P: c u l8r._

That day during glee rehearsal Quinn found that the best way to distract herself from Puck, who was entertaining the rest of the club with his _mad guitar skills_ was to try and read her English homework for the night.

"Hey guys, great news!" Mr. Schue said as he breezed through the door. "Glee club gets a photo in the Thunderclap. Yup, it's going to show everyone at this school that glee club is on its way up. When we win Regionals, those 'claps are going to be collector's items. All of your classmates are going to be _begging_ for your autographs. But, I had to compromise to do it. We only get a quarter page in back. Which means we have to pick two team captains to appear in the photo. So, tomorrow, we're going to put it to a vote. Exciting, huh? _Alright!"_

The rest of the week Quinn didn't see much of Puck except for when he met her at her locker in the morning. She was on a mission to regain her position on the Cheerios so that she could be in the yearbook where she belonged. Somewhere along the way between being in a mattress commercial and finding out that it went against the show choir rules rumors began to fly around school that Mr. Schue had found out that his wife Teri was lying about her pregnancy and they had separated. Quinn panicked. If Teri Schuester wasn't going to take her baby, then who was? She was so nervous and worried that she could barely enjoy her victory over Sue which landed the glee club their very own page in the Thunderclap. _Maybe,_ she thought on Friday morning. _If things worked out with Puck, we won't have to give her up. He did prove that we could handle kids…still, we have time to think about it, time to figure things out. Everything will be fine…I hope._

"So, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out tonight," Puck asked quietly when he met Quinn.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well, my house is out of the question because my mom is off this weekend and I don't think we can meet at Finn's house, but I have a better idea, if you're up for it, where we could be alone."

"I'm not going to a cheap motel with you."

"What? I would never do that. My aunt has a house out by the mall, but she's out of town until next Wednesday. She asked me to stop by everyday and get her mail and shit. I thought, maybe we could hang out there, watch a movie?"

"I think we could do that. I can tell Finn I'm hanging out with Mercedes."

"What are you going to tell her?"

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked, puzzled.

"Babe, you need to cover your tracks. You have to make sure she knows that you're using her for an alibi."

"But what am I going to tell her?"

"I dunno, just be creative. I'll text you her address and we can meet up at eight-ish?"

As it turned out, _being creative_ consisted of spilling the truth to Mercedes after school. Quinn couldn't help it. It had been so long since she felt like she had someone to talk to that everything just poured out.

"Let me get this straight," Mercedes said. "You and _Puck_?"

"I _know_ and I know it's awful because of the baby-."

"Relax mama, don't tell your man on me but he actually let it slip a couple of weeks ago that he's the father."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it was when we were ballad partners and he just needed to get it off his chest, I guess, so he told me."

"So you've know this whole time?"

Mercedes nodded.

"You must think I'm an awful person," Quinn sighed and buried her head in her hands.

"I think you're scared and unsure and in need of a good friend. If you want to test things out with your baby's daddy, then you should. I got your back."

"Thank you."

Getting away from Finn's house wasn't too difficult. He seemed excited that she was getting closer to the other members of glee club. _If he only knew _which_ members,_ Quinn thought as she pulled up to the small house, relieved that Puck's truck was already in the driveway.

"Hey," he said, greeting her at the door with a kiss. "Come on in."

"This is really cute," Quinn replied, looking around as he took her coat from her.

"Gee thanks, I did it myself. Just kidding. My aunt just started out a couple of years ago as an interior designer so she knows her stuff, I guess."

"And she lets you stay here when she's out of town?"

"Eh, not exactly. I just have a key so I can put her mail inside when I get it. I'm not staying here tonight or anything."

"Are you close with her?"

"Yeah," Puck affirmed as they sat on the sofa. "She's in her late twenties and she babysat me a lot when I was little. I'm pretty tight with my family."

"I never really knew that."

"Well, it's not something I broadcast to the world. I have an image to uphold, you know?"

Suddenly, Puck wanting to be a part of their daughter's life made more sense. At first, Quinn thought that he just wanted to prove that he wasn't a failure at everything or that he wasn't like his own father. Now, she felt like he wanted to look out for his family, to protect her. She couldn't quite explain it, but it was reassuring to see this side of him.

"What are we doing tonight?" she asked.

"I was thinking we could watch a movie. I brought _Dodgeball_ because I really like it, but if you want something else I can run out and get it."

"No, that sounds good to me."

Quinn didn't remember the movie being as funny as she found it that night. She wasn't sure if it was the fact that Puck knew and recited almost every line or if she left herself relax, but Quinn laughed more than she had allowed herself to in a long time. She was so at ease that she was able to lean back into Puck until they were lying side by side on the sofa with his arms wrapped around her for support. She absentmindedly twisted a thread that hung from the sleeve of his black t-shirt and then let her fingers dance over his bicep until they rested on his shoulder and he glanced down at her. Like a little girl, she blushed under his gaze but did not look away, craning her neck so that she could reach up to his soft, slightly parted lips. She swore she heard him moan lightly as he deepened the kiss and let his own hand wander up and how her back. It was nice, Quinn thought, to be able to kiss someone without having to remind them to think about the mail, not that she ever had to do that lately. With Finn, she felt so…self-conscious about herself, especially when he only leaned over to give her a quick peck before rolling over away from her for the night. With Puck it was different. He didn't seem awkward around her, didn't seem to care that her pants had elastic in the waistband. He had just left her lips to pay attention to the pulse point on her neck when his phone began to ring from his pocket. He would have been content to let it go, were it not for Quinn stopping him.

"Shouldn't you get that?" she asked, breathlessly as she placed her hand on his chest.

"Fuck it," he murmured against her skin, loving the way it felt when she giggled at his comment and pulled away from him. Sighing, he fished his phone out of his pocket and checked the display, cursing immediately. "Hey, what's up, dude?"

Quinn went still as she heard her boyfriend's muffled voice on the other end of the call. She couldn't breathe, afraid that the slightest sound would betray her.

"Sorry man, I'm busy…Oh, you know, I'm kind of on a date…Yeah, that sucks that Quinn's hanging with Mercedes…Sorry bro, maybe we can chill tomorrow night…Yup, later"

Puck hung up his phone and slid back down next to Quinn. "Fuck."

"I should, ummm…go," she said quietly, sitting up.

"What? No, please stay."

"I shouldn't have come," Quinn replied and expected Puck to protest and put up a fight. Instead, he just sat there as she rose from the couch and looked down at him. He didn't look angry but seemed sad and dejected. "I'm sorry Puck."

"That's OK," he said with hurt-laced words. "I've gotten used to you picking him over me."

"Puck, it's not like that."

"What's it like then?"

"I'm just-I'm scared, OK?"

"Of me?"

"No," Quinn shook her head and sat next to him again. "I'm scared about how I feel when I'm around you and how I used to be so sure about what I wanted and now I just don't know anymore. I came here tonight, didn't I? I wanted to be with you and spend time with you. You know I care about you, more than I probably should."

"Would you believe me if I told you that I've never felt this way about anyone before?"

Quinn nodded without hesitation, remembering that it was the second time he had told her that. "Yeah, I do believe you."

"You think I'm not scared? I'm terrified that I'll mess up and hurt you again."

They were sitting very close to one another and Puck closed what little gap there was between them with a kiss. It was slow and gentle and full of longing for something that seemed to be just out of their grasp.

"Just stay," he pleaded, resting his forehead against hers. "At least until the end of the movie."

"OK," Quinn agreed, letting her heart win out over her head.

It was past midnight and the movie had long since ended when she finally arrived back at Finn's house. She hadn't intended on staying after the movie but they had started talking and she lost track of the time. She smiled as she opened the door to the house when she thought about how Puck always made her feel like she was escaping reality.

"Didn't you go out tonight?" she asked Finn when she walked into his room and saw that he was getting ready for bed.

"No, everyone was busy. Mike and Matt went to some dance contest. Puck was out with some girl. You were with Mercedes."

"I'm sorry," Quinn replied.

"It's cool. You're here now," Finn said and leaned down to kiss her. Almost immediately, a wave of guilt fell over Quinn, but she was surprised. She hadn't really felt guilty that night about being with Puck. Instead, her insecurities had lain in the uncertainty of her own feelings and what to do about them. When she brought her hands up around Finn's neck, she instinctively attempted to trace a mohawk that wasn't there and she pulled back suddenly.

"You OK?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Quinn lied.

"Why don't we get to bed then? Sectionals are only a week away and Rachel said a good night's sleep is the best thing for a healthy voice."

When Finn mentioned Rachel's name Quinn felt a little less wrong about nearly imagining that her boyfriend was Puck. Her head felt like it was spinning around in circles when she climbed under the covers and shut her eyes tight. In a way, she wanted Finn to hold her, to make her feel safe, but at the same time, she was glad when he rolled over and began to snore lightly. She wondered what Puck was doing, if he was alone, if he was thinking about her just as much as she was thinking about him. Somewhere in the past week or so, so began to cross a dangerous bridge. On one side stood Finn, kind, gullible Finn with his cowboy bed sheets and everything everyone expected her to be. On the other side stood Puck, cocky smile, black leather jacket, brown eyes that she could lose herself in and all of his promises. For a long time she had been in the center, but now she felt herself inching closer and closer to Puck. A strange thing began to happen. She stopped feeling like she was cheating on Finn whenever she was with Puck and began to feel like she was hurting Puck, and maybe even herself, every time she was with Finn. He was right; she did always choose Finn until that night. Quinn tried to rationalize why she stayed but she could only come up with one reason. She wanted to. She _wanted_ to stay. The closer she moved across the bridge towards Puck, the more worried Quinn became that someone would cut the ropes. It was just a matter of time. The real question was not how far she would fall, but who would be there to catch her.

XXXXX

"Are you sure you're OK?" Puck asked Quinn in a text on Thursday evening. Earlier that day she had slipped and fallen while they were rehearsing _Don't Stop Believin'_ for Sectionals on Saturday. Finn had quickly come to her aid, but then so did Puck, concern etched across his face. Her diversion to draw attention away from Puck was to pretend to be exasperated, annoyed and perhaps a little angry, while she refused help from either of them and pushed herself up. She really was fine with the exception of being embarrassed and a little nervous that her boyfriend would think there was something more going on between her and his friend, not that he would be wrong.

"Yes, I'm alright," she replied back. "You need to be more careful…people will get suspicious."

_Puck: Sorry babe, I had to make sure my girls were OK._

Quinn read his last text several times to make sure that he did actually say _girls_ in the plural form, as in more than one. They hadn't really discussed their daughter much at their secret meetings, but more than once while they were making out Quinn felt Puck's thumbs trace the gentle curve of her barely-there bump when he moved his hands over her hips. On Monday, after her doctor's appointment, she had sent him a picture of the sonogram via email. His reply was a simple and very Puck-esque _That is freakin' awesome_. She found it difficult to hide her smile as she texted him back.

_Q: ur sweet_

_P: c u 2mrw. _

That Friday after school was their final practice before Sectionals. With Mr. Schuester unable to be there with them, they knew it was vital to have their numbers down pat. Class had just let out and everyone was beginning to assemble while they waited for a few other members to join them. Quinn hadn't even realized that Finn was missing as she chatted with Matt, Mercedes and Puck until he stormed through the door. She watched, curiously at first, as he paused, glanced between her and Puck and stalked over to them before he grabbed his friend by the shoulder. Finn whipped him around before delivering a hearty blow to Puck's jaw, sending him barreling backwards onto the floor. Quinn felt as if her world began to move in slow motion as she sprang to her feet and pleaded with her boyfriend to stop his assault on Puck. She didn't notice Miss Pillsbury run from the room until she returned with Mr. Schue. Quinn wondered why Puck didn't fight back at all. He just took everything Finn dealt to his face and gut, groaning when the teacher pulled Finn off and he rolled over and defiantly rose to his feet.

"Hey come on, get off, knock it off!" Mr. Schue demanded.

"Tell the truth!" Finn shouted as Mike and Matt struggled to hold him back.

"Punk just walked in and suckered punched me," Puck accused.

"Don't play dumb, you're too freakin' dumb to play dumb."

"Who told you this Finn?" Quinn heard herself ask, grasping at anything she could think of.

"Obviously it was Rachel," Kurt interjected.

"Yeah it was Rachel," Finn replied, despite the girl's vain attempt to deny it. "But I want to hear it from you. I want to hear it from both of you."

"Finn just calm down," Schue tried to reason.

"No, they're both lying to me! Is it true? Just tell me. Is it true?"

She had suppressed the truth for so long that Quinn had wondered if she would even be able to admit it if the time ever came. With tears streaming down her face she finally looked her boyfriend in the eye and nodded.

"Yes," she managed to choke out. "Puck is the father."

"So…all that stuff in the hot tub? You just made that up?"

"You were stupid enough to buy it," Puck said, trying to defend Quinn. Finn lunged towards him once again but Mr. Schue held him back.

"I am _so_ sorry," Quinn tried.

"Screw this! I'm _done_ with you. I'm done with _all_ of you!" Finn yelled and left the room, kicking a chair on his way out the door.

XXXXX

Quinn felt numb as she sat in an alcove down the hall from the choir room. In a matter of minutes her entire life had come crashing down around her. All of the lies, all of the secret were out in the open now and she needed to face the consequences. She couldn't erase the image of Finn's face, filled with hurt and anger, from her mind. _I'm an awful person,_ she thought. _I've destroyed everything that was important to me. I lost my family, my spot on the Cheerios, Finn, people's trust. I've caused so much damage because I'm so selfish. Not only have I hurt the Glee club, but I've ruined the friendship between Puck and Finn. _

"I'm so sorry," she heard Rachel say and glanced up at her. "I fully understand if you want to beat me up. If you can, just try and avoid my nose."

"I'm not mad at you," Quinn said truthfully. "All you did was what I wasn't brave enough to do, tell the truth."

"I was selfish when I told him. I wanted to break you two up so he would want to be with me."

"And now neither of us have him. I have hurt so many people. Can you go now? I just really want to be alone."

As Rachel left, Quinn closed her eyes and brushed a stray tear from her cheek. When she opened her eyes she saw Puck's figure walking up to her and she tried her best to offer him a timid smile.

"Hey," he said taking a seat next to her. "So, I know you're upset now, but I wanna be with you and I'm gonna do everything I can to be a good dad to our baby. Everything's out now. Everyone knows so there's no reason we can't be together now, right?"

_How is it possible that he still wants to be with me after everything I've done to him?_ Quinn wondered. _After everything, I don't deserve to be with anyone. I can't hurt people anymore._

"Thanks, but I honestly can't handle any more stress in my life right now. I'm gonna do this on my own. I know you don't understand it, but please respect it."

With that, Quinn rose and left before Puck had the chance to see her cry or to try and talk her out of her decision. She knew that she had made her own bed and she just wanted to lie in it alone before anyone else got hurt.

XXXXX

That afternoon, Puck waited until his little sister went to her room to work on homework before he sought out his mom. Quinn had told him that she wanted to do everything alone but he wasn't down for that. She had slipped away from him too many times in the past and that wasn't going to happen again. Even though she hadn't said it, he could tell how afraid she looked and he would have done anything to change that. Yeah, it might have sucked that Finn was mad at him, but attempting to fix that, if it was even possible, could wait. He'd told Quinn enough times that he wanted to be there for her and their daughter, it was time he put his money where his mouth was. It was time to be a man about it and tell his mom everything.

"Noah, what are _you_ doing home on a Friday evening?" Ruth Puckerman asked her son as he came down the stairs into their family room.

"I, uh, I have something to tell you," he replied and shoved his hands nervously into his pockets. "You're going to be pissed at me, just so you know."

"Did you get expelled? How many times have I told you to stop throwing kids into the dumpster? You never listen to me. I tell you again and again and-."

"Mom, I didn't get expelled," Puck interrupted. "I kinda got someone pregnant."

"Kinda? What does that mean? You either got a girl pregnant or you didn't. It's a little difficult to be _kinda_ pregnant."

"OK, I _did_ get a girl pregnant. I'm sorry, Mom."

"Oh _Noah_, how did this happen?" Ruth asked. "I mean, I know _how_ it happened, I don't need a play by play, but I thought you were at least smarter than that."

"I don't know, it just did."

"It's that Santana girl, isn't it?"

"No."

"Brittany?"

"No, Mom."

"That nice Jewish girl? At least tell me it's the nice Jewish girl."

Puck rolled his eyes when his mother mentioned Rachel. Seriously, she had met her for like two seconds, seen the Star of David necklace she was wearing and thought she was perfect. Little did she know that he was about to drop another bomb on her.

"It's Quinn Fabray."

"Noah, this isn't a funny joke."

"I'm not kidding."

"I thought she was dating Finn."

"She is, er…was."

"Does Finn know?"

"He does now. He thought it was his."

"Why would he think that?"

"Because that's what Quinn told him," Puck explained.

"And he believed her? I know Finn isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, but come on."

"He didn't know there was anything going on between us."

"And what exactly is going on?"

"I don't know."

"How do you not know?"

"Because, it's complicated. I have feelings for her and I know she has feelings for me, but she didn't want to leave Finn. Her parents kicked her out and she's been living with him."

"And you were OK with her lying to your best friend?"

"No, I wanted to tell the truth."

"So why didn't you take responsibility?" Ruth asked, trying not to lose her composure.

"Because Quinn didn't want me to. She wanted to be with Finn and I just wanted her to be happy."

"So now Finn knows?"

"Yeah, Rachel told him, he started beating the crap out of me and he told Quinn that he was through with her. I told her I wanted to be with her but she said she wants to do this alone."

"Are you an idiot?" his mother asked, slapping the side of his head.

"What?"

"This girl is pregnant and scared and her boyfriend _just_ broke up with her and you expect her to get with you?"

"Weren't you _just_ telling me to take responsibility?"

"Taking responsibility is different than just trying to _get_ with her, Noah. Is she even keeping the baby?"

"She doesn't know yet. Finn told her that she could stay at his house tonight but then she had to leave."

"And where is she going to stay?"

"Well, I want to convince her to stay here, if you'll let her. I want to show her that I can take care of her."

"Where is she going to sleep?" his mother logically asked. "We don't have any extra rooms."

"She can sleep in my bed," Puck replied. "Don't give me that look. I'll sleep on the air mattress on the floor. It's not like she can get pregnant again."

"This is _not_ funny. What am I going to do with you? What are your grandparents going to say?"

"Actually, I told them."

"You did?"

"Yeah, when I went up there two weeks ago. It's a long story."

"I've got time and you're certainly not going anywhere tonight or in the near future."

"A few weeks back Quinn asked me to babysit with her. I think she was testing me or something. The three kids were, like, terrorists, but we did a really good job once we got them settled down. That night, though, Santana decided to send me all of these, umm, _inappropriate_ text messages. I think she was jealous or something. Anyway, a few days later, she told Quinn about the messages and she got really pissed at me, so I got really pissed and that is why I went up to Bubbe's house. So, you know how she is, Bubbe didn't force it out of me, but I ended up telling her everything."

"And what did she say?"

"She told me to stop acting like a moron, apologize and pray that Quinn would forgive me."

"Did she?" Mrs. Puckerman asked.

"Yeah, for the most part. We're always kind of on weird terms with each other."

"Really? You mean things aren't all sunshine and rainbows between you and your best friend's girlfriend that you slept with?"

"You know, I _knew_ you were going to be like this. I'm leaving," Puck said and stood up.

"No you're not mister. Sit your behind back down and tell me why, of every other girl, you just had to pick this one."

"Because I care about her, a lot. I have for awhile, Finn just got there first and his image is better, so, of course, she picked him and then she didn't want to hurt him and then today the shit hit the fan. So now I'm trying to convince her to let me help her. I _think_, if I tell her she can stay here, she'll agree to it. She doesn't really have any other options. Please Mom, I know I totally fucked up, but help me make this right."

Ruth looked at her son long and hard. She had never really seen him this sincere about anything in his life. She knew he wasn't the smartest kid or a model student, but he really did have a big heart and an urge to always try and fix things.

"If she says yes, then she can stay for as long as she wants," she said definitively.

"Thanks Mom," he replied graciously.

"Hold on a minute. You're not off the hook Noah. I may not hold this against Quinn, but I am still _extremely_ disappointed in you. _If_ Quinn decides to keep the baby, you have a _lot_ of growing up to do. Do you understand me?"

"I know. I'm sorry for making things harder on you."

"Noah, listen to me. I know you want to make things right but this is a _baby_ we're talking about. It's not a game or a toy or a puppy. This is going to change both of your lives, but especially hers. You need to be supportive but let her make the decision, understood?"

"Yes. I'll make this up to you."

"Good, because you will be taking your sister and her friends to and from the movies tonight."

"But she's only ten. You're going to let them stay there alone?"

"Oh course not. You're staying with them."

"But…don't you think I should talk to Quinn right away?" Puck asked, trying to wiggle his way out of his punishment.

"No. You can talk to her tomorrow on the way home from your competition. Let her relax and calm down a bit. Think of how traumatized she probably is by all of this."

Puck did think about it and that's what killed him the most. He wanted to send her a text, he wanted to call her, hell, he wanted to go over to Finn's house, grab her and her things and tell her that everything was going to be alright. Instead, he nodded his head.

"Alright," he said with a heavy sigh. "What time does the movie start?"

"Seven-fifteen. Make sure you buy your sister snacks."

XXXXX

Puck sat next to Mike on the bus ride home after Sectionals. He was trying hard to pay attention to what his friend was saying but he had more pressing issues on his mind, like how he was going to convince Quinn that it would be a good idea for her to come live with him. He had practiced it a few times in his head, but he was still worried that she would turn him down. He looked back over the rows of seats and saw her sitting alone, staring out the window. She looked like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders and he knew that he wanted to be the one to lift it. He dug his phone out of his pocket and sent her a text message.

"Would you like some company?" he simply typed, praying that she wouldn't ignore him or pretend like she didn't receive it. He watched as Quinn looked away from the window and seemed to fiddle with something he couldn't see. Moments later he felt his phone buzz with her reply.

_Quinn: Sure. _

He nearly leapt out of his seat when he read the message. It may not have been the most encouraging answer but it was a start. He saw her smile slightly as she watched him ignore the bus driver's reprimand for him to sit down and plopped down next to her.

"There," he shouted forward. "Are you happy now?"

Puck turned towards Quinn and visibly softened as he offered her a smile.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi," she replied softly and he knew then that this time there was no way he was going to let her slip away.


End file.
